The happiest millionaire

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Movie
German title The happiest millionaire
Original title The Happiest Millionaire
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1967
length 164/122 (abridged version) minutes
Rod
Director Norman Tokar
script AJ Carothers
production Walt Disney ,
Bill Anderson
music Richard M. Sherman,
Robert B. Sherman
camera Edward Colman
cut Cotton Warburton
occupation

The Happiest Millionaire (Original title: The Happiest Millionaire ) is an American film musical by Walt Disney from 1967 with Fred MacMurray and Greer Garson in the lead roles.

action

Philadelphia 1916: Anthony J. Drexel Biddle is an eccentric millionaire who loves to raise alligators in his spare time and teach military strategy and self-defense to Bible- class students . His daughter Cordy is anything but impressed by her father's behavior, especially since the young men of the city are afraid of him and therefore do not dare to invite Cordy on a rendezvous. On the advice of Aunt Mary Drexel, Biddle and his wife Cordelia send their rebellious daughter to a girls' boarding school in New Jersey . Shortly after Cordy arrived in New Jersey, she fell in love with Angie Duke, a young heir to a tobacco empire.

After the announcement of her engagement, Cordy accompanies Angie to New York to be introduced to high society. Angie's mother immediately takes Cordie under her wing and introduces her to upscale New York circles. Meanwhile, Biddle is planning a big garden party on the occasion of the engagement. When he and his wife Cordelia finally get to know Angie, they are against the connection. An argument ensues and Angie leaves the party angrily.

The Biddles then send their new butler, John Lawless, after the young great heir to spy on him. Lawless pursues Angie into an Irish pub and initiates a bar fight, eventually ending up with Angie in jail. The following morning, the Biddles and Mrs. Duke arrive there to pay Angie's bail . The Biddles ultimately give up their reservations about Angie and welcome him to their family.

background

It is the screen adaptation of the play The Happiest Millionaire by Kyle Crichton, which in turn is based on the book My Philadelphia Father by Cordelia Drexel Biddle. With her book, Biddle had written a biography of her father, Anthony Drexel Biddle (1874–1948), a Philadelphia millionaire who, thanks to financial independence, was able to afford eccentric hobbies such as breeding alligators and practicing martial arts. He served as Colonel of the US armed forces in both the First and the Second World War .

The play The Happiest Millionaire was performed a total of 271 times on Broadway with Walter Pidgeon in the title role from 1956 to 1957 . Pidgeon is best known for his eight joint films with Greer Garson, who played Mrs. Biddle in the film. It was to be Garson's last feature film. At the same time, it was the last film in which producer Walt Disney personally accompanied the shooting. He died in 1966 several months before the film was released on June 23, 1967.

Originally the film musical ran for 164 minutes. Since critics complained about the length of the film, it was shortened to 141 minutes after the premiere for release in US cinemas (in Germany to 122 minutes). Among other things, a vocal contribution by Garson to the song It Won't Be Long 'Til Christmas was cut out. The film was restored for broadcast on US television in 1984 and this scene was added again.

Music and dance numbers

  • What's Wrong With That? ( Richard M. Sherman / Robert B. Sherman )
  • Watch Your Footwork (Sherman / Sherman)
  • Valentine Candy (Sherman / Sherman)
  • I'll Always Be Irish (Sherman / Sherman)
  • Bye-Yum Pum Pum (Sherman / Sherman)
  • Are We Dancing? (Sherman / Sherman)
  • There Are Those (Sherman / Sherman)
  • Let's Have a Drink On It (Sherman / Sherman)
  • Fortuosity (Sherman / Sherman)
  • Detroit (Sherman / Sherman)
  • It Won't Be Long 'Til Christmas (Sherman / Sherman)

Reviews

Bosley Crowther of the New York Times described the film as "an over-decorated, inflated and kitschy attempt to portray millionaires as quaint as old boxers or Irish fighters." Greer Garson delivered a performance "that is very reminiscent of her Mrs. Miniver". Fred MacMurray, in turn, looks like a "flat-footed aristocrat" at her side. That this pairing would not work was "predictable". Variety found that Fred MacMurray was "comfortable" playing an "excellently" written role. He is "wonderfully complemented" by Greer Garson. In addition, Lesley Ann Warren plays "the teenage daughter with charm and charisma".

Craig Butler of the All Movie Guide said that the film "unfortunately lacks the charm [...] of its predecessor" Mary Poppins . Norman Tokar's direction is "solid but uninspired". The film music is "beautiful, but not good enough to cover up the flaws in the script and the direction". Fred MacMurray, however, is "excellent, even if a bit too reserved in places". Lesley Ann Warren for her part made "a promising and delightful debut" and Geraldine Page stole "the show in almost every scene in which she appears". All in all, the result was "good family entertainment, but nothing more".

For the lexicon of international films , The Happiest Millionaire was a "somewhat viscous, but nice entertainment film" that could come up with "careful equipment" and "lots of musical performances". The conclusion of the Protestant film observer was: “Nice family entertainment, even if it is often slow and boring. More momentum would have been better for the musical. "

Awards

At the 1968 Academy Awards , the film was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Costume Design category. Costume designer Bill Thomas was defeated by John Truscott , who received the trophy for his costumes in Camelot - At the court of King Arthur . Furthermore, Tommy Steele was nominated for Best Young Actor for the Golden Globe , which Dustin Hoffman won for the final exam .

literature

  • Cordelia Drexel Biddle and Kyle Crichton: My Philadelphia Father . Permabook, 1963, 245 pp. (English edition).
  • Kyle Crichton: The Happiest Millionaire (A Play) . S. French, 1999 (English edition).

Soundtrack

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Troyan: A Rose for Mrs. Miniver. The Life of Greer Garson . The University Press of Kentucky, 1999, p. 310.
  2. ↑ “It is an over-decorated, over-fluffed, over-sentimentalized endeavor to pretend the lace-curtain millionaires are — or were — every bit as folksy as the old prize-fighters and the Irish brawlers in the saloon. [...] Miss Garson gives a performance that is pure Mrs. Miniver alongside Mr. MacMurray's splay-footed aristocrat. The juxtaposition is crushing. But it was forecast. " Bosley Crowther : Music Hall Is Offering 'Happiest Millionaire' . In: The New York Times , December 1, 1967.
  3. ↑ “MacMurray, snug in an excellent characterization, is well teamed with Greer Garson […]. Lesley Ann Warren plays the teenage daughter with charm and radiance. ” See The Happiest Millionaire . In: Variety , 1967.
  4. ↑ “Unfortunately, Millionaire onscreen lacks the charm […] of its predecessor [ Mary Poppins ]. Norman Tokar's direction is workmanlike but uninspired […]. The score is fine, but it's not good enough to cover the flaws in the screenplay and direction. [...] Fred MacMurray is fine, if a bit too low key in places. Lesley Ann Warren makes an auspicious and appealing debut, and Geraldine Page comes close to stealing every scene she's in. Millionaire is perfectly acceptable family entertainment but nothing more. ” Craig Butler, cf. omovie.com
  5. ↑ The happiest millionaire. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed June 3, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  6. ↑ Protestant film observer . Evangelical Press Association Munich, Critique No. 432/1969.